Up on the hills in Katra, Vaishno Mata resides in a cave blessing her devotees wherever they are. Vaishnodevi Bhawan can be reached after a trek of 13 km from Katra. More than 10 million devotees come to pay obeisance to Mata . Over the years, this number has increased exponentially which is why the need for a Management Board was felt. Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Board is headed by the chairman (Governor of the state) who is assisted by a Chief Executive Officer and other subordinate officers. So, there is a strong administrative backbone which aids the smooth functioning of the pilgrimage.
Having visited the shrine quite often since childhood, I have noticed the very minute as well as drastic changes taking place in this area. My father had the priceless opportunity of serving in the board for 7 years. Last month, my father took me for a short visit for he loves to keep going back to Mata. As we started off, I could see his face gleaming with pride I rarely get to see. One of the officers who worked under him accompanied us because my father had many questions to ask. He hadn't come here since he was relieved of this responsibility.
Right near the entrance, I saw the mule gas plant which helped to convert the mule and horse dung into gas after dung treatment as mule dung is acidic. My father proudly proclaimed that after the setting up of this plant, they were able to get rid of two miseries. One, there was lesser demand for fuelwood and also the track was cleaner as the dung was sent to the plant. I was half amazed till I saw the channels which diverted the dung from the track to the plant which is at a lower ground. Moreover, the gas was used in Langar to feed devotees and other needy people.
Moving on, there are shops on both sides of the track which sell a variety of goods like dry fruits, Mata souvenirs, Kashmiri clothes and of course eating joints. Here, I saw something absolutely new this time. There were shops allowing people to sit on massage chairs with a nominal charge of ₹ 50 per hour. Now, that's creativity. Most of the pilgrims come all the way from railway station with the bags on their backs. For such people, it is a true panacea for their pain. I realised then that this shop owner would be the best teacher on entrepreneurship.
I must say that the track upto the cave is an ideal precursor, for every step you take, it is as if the divine is calling you closer towards her. Probably when I say this, it might sound shallow for I am young and the physical strength is on my side. But an octogenarian couple who refused to get on to the 'Palki' when requested by their children is sure an indication of the immense power in Mata. Surprisingly, this devotion seems to have found a soft corner in my father's heart as well.
As we treaded the holy path, I saw many pitthoos (luggage carriers) and pony owners wishing my father. Puzzled, I asked him how he was so well known amongst these workers. That's when I got to know that these workers have a strong union who have fought for their rights every time they felt injustice was being done. My father narrated another instance to emphasise how it important it is for progress to be bottom-up rather than top-down because trickle down effects hardly show up. The story goes like this. The Board decided to make a dedicated mule track so that the pilgrims who are going by foot don't have to smell the dung of the four legged creatures. Parallely, battery cars were started so that the old and differently abled people can have a easy ride. This move made the pitthoos angry as it deprived them of their business (meagre as it is). The administration had to intervene by stating that battery cars can't carry luggage and if any such car is found, the driver's permit would be withdrawn. This wasn't enough when pony owners got disgruntled saying that battery cars took away their clientele as the latter makes the journey shorter. In order to resolve this matter, the Board first kept a portion of the path exclusively for the ponies and the latter was now open to both ponies and battery cars. Also, the track where both could operate had two separate branches so that chances of conflict are minimal. The pony owners were also given other incentives like regularisation of jobs and residential tenements in Katra. Now the pony owners, pithoos and the battery cars are co-existing peacefully.
When we reached the cave, my father bowed down and I followed him. I heard him mumbling,"Mata, apna dhyan rakhna!" I was so overwhelmed. "Jai Mata Di" echoes in my heart as I think about that day.
This piece is dedicated to all those aspirants who want to make a difference to the lives of their fellow citizens. As a bureaucrat, your contribution is instrumental in making lives brighter and happier eradicating all such bottlenecks impeding our nation's progress.
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